


Darling, We're on Fire (and We're Still Burning Strong)

by Dusty_Skyes



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Black 2 & White 2 | Pokemon Black 2 & White 2 Versions
Genre: AU, M/M, Torture, Where do I begin, being tortured isn't fun, disguises, giovanni's a sackful of dicks, international police agents, oh boy, out of the frying pan and into the fire, poor ghetsis, preslash, rocket grunts with consciences, schizophrenic ghetsis, trouble magnet!ghetsis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-21
Updated: 2017-02-21
Packaged: 2018-09-26 03:46:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9861023
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dusty_Skyes/pseuds/Dusty_Skyes
Summary: Typical Monday mornings for Ghetsis usually don't involve being chloroformed and kidnapped.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mybelovedghetsis](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=mybelovedghetsis).



> Inspired by a prompt from mybelovedghetsis on tumblr. 
> 
>  
> 
> _"Takes place BW2 time. Ghetsis is kidnapped, tortured, and enslaved by Team Rocket. As Team Plasma looks for him, they get unexpected help from N and ex-Team Plasma."_

Typical Monday mornings where Ghetsis is concerned involve multiple attempts to get out of bed before seven followed by copious amounts of caffeine and minor bitch-fits aimed towards the sun. They do _not_ involve being grabbed and dragged into the shadows halfway down the hall to the kitchen. A rag is slapped across his face and he inhales automatically, choking on the sickeningly sweet, ice-cold lungful of _wrong_ that is chloroform. Just before he goes under, Ghetsis curses his Shadow Trio and decides that he's definitely going to dock their pay for letting this happen. They're supposed to be his Arceus-damned guards, but he can't sense them anywhere. He's at the mercy of some _bastard_ because he left the Pokéballs containing his team in his fucking bedroom. It's not like he thought he'd _need_ them at six-bloody-thirty in the morning in his own home. Alone, and on his own. This...this is a problem and he has no idea how to get out of it.

Ghetsis goes under, the wave of black that's been threatening to swallow him finally crashing over his head. He drowns in the darkness. The cup of coffee he'd been holding shatters on the floor, its contents spilling out across the linoleum as he sags in the grip of the person holding his form. Only vaguely aware, because they've practiced this and Ghetsis is actually slightly immune to whatever ingredients go into chloroform and those idiots _didn't put enough on the cloth but it's still enough to drag him down_ , he can feel someone grabbing his legs and lifting him up. There's no possible way for him to kick their asses, not while he's like this, and Ghetsis lets himself drift off. He's been wanting an extra hour or two of sleep anyway.

**oOo**

Waking up after being chloroformed is a lot like waking up after a hangover. He's nauseous beyond belief, has a headache that just won't quit, and the way the room is spinning is not helping his stomach in the least. He groans weakly and tries to hunch over in an attempt to keep from throwing up, and then realizes that he's trussed up like a Sunday dinner. All that's missing is the apple in his mouth. Closing his eyes helps somewhat, and Ghetsis stiffens when footsteps enter the room. They saunter across, their owner clearly taking their time, and stop right in front of him.

Ghetsis opens his eyes and looks at them. Expensive, high quality leather that is definitely a name brand. They're also familiar. “Giovanni,” he manages weakly, and tilts his head so he can look the Rocket leader in the face. “I didn't know you were expanding into human kidnapping.”

Giovanni's lips twitch upwards, a thin, slender smirk that makes every single hair on the back of Ghetsis' neck rise. He drops his weight a little, crouching so that they're looking each other in the eye. “I have a few questions for you, Ghetsis,” he purrs. “You will answer them, yes, as I can assure you that you won't like what happens if you don't. That is understood, no?”

Red eyes narrow slowly, and Ghetsis can already feel the headache worsening. “Depends on what you want to know.” He racks his mind, quickly running down the list of things that Giovanni might be interested in. Zekrom, Reshiram, Kyurem, his son, Team Plasma, and those are just the main ones. He's really not sure if he likes where this situation is going.

“Where are the Legendaries of Unova?” the Rocket leader asks as he stands up. “And, for that matter, where is your son? We know he has one of the legendary Pokémon.”

Panic blurs through Ghetsis' mind. His son might hate him, but Ghetsis loves him with all of his heart. Yes, he knows his own failings. Ghetsis knows who he is; he's manipulating, cruel, and a general asshole to most people. But he truly does love N. He'd do anything to protect his child, even if it doesn't really seem like it. Closing his eyes, Ghetsis resigns himself to a world of hurt, and snarls, “Shove it up your ass, Giovanni!” and cries out in pain when the Rocket leader promptly kicks him in the chest.

He crumples back, skidding across the hard pavement and coughing up blood as he goes. For a while he just lies there, pressing his face against the cool surface underneath him, and struggles to get his breath back. Expensive, black shoes move into his line of sight and Giovanni taps the toe of his left foot against the ground. “What was that?” he asks.

Ghetsis, in a moment of anger and annoyance, spits a mouthful of blood across the expensive leather. The expression that crosses Giovanni's face is nothing short of furious and Ghetsis has approximately three seconds to regret it before he's knocked out again.

(Giovanni, apparently, has one hell of a mean kick.)

**oOo**

“We need to contact the King.” Aedric, the leader of the Shadow Trio, winces at the suggestion. He knows that Marion is right, but N might not help them. Not after everything Ghetsis has done.

“I can't say that I like the suggestion, but Marion's right,” Lynnr mutters. “Our Lord N needs to know that his father's missing.” They're currently in Ghetsis' home, where they had left their leader the night before. There's no sign of the man now, but the fact that his Pokémon team is still there, still on the bedside table in their Pokéballs, is alarming. The shattered coffee mug on the floor, surrounded by a mostly dried-up stain, is not helping either. Aedric's Liepard is sniffing around the area, pushing its nose into every surface, when it suddenly pauses and starts sneezing. Startled, the three glance over.

“What is it, Liepard?” Aedric asks. The Liepard chatters, covers its nose with a paw, then falls over in a dead faint. Knowing full well how intelligent the cat Pokémon is, Aedric focuses on the fact that it clearly found something.

“That's kinda like chloroform,” Marion comments, then freezes when the Liepard nods. “Shit. This is full-blown kidnapping. Any other scents?” The Liepard shakes its head no. “Well fuck.” With a groan, Marion scrubs a hand across his face, and then nods. “Right. I'm going to find the King.” He vanishes in a plume of dark smoke.

Lynnr frowns a little. “I'll go look around the area. See if I can find something.” He, too, disappears, and Aedric recalls Liepard before vaulting out a window. Hopefully they can find the boss before something bad happens to him.

**oOo**

The second time Ghetsis awakens, it's to an agonizing pain in his arm. He manages to tilt his head just enough, just in time, and he watches with huge eyes as a Rocket grunt shoves a senbon needle through the flesh above his elbow. That hurts, and he jerks, blood dribbling down his skin and dripping onto the floor. Giovanni, safely out of his range, laughs at him and then asks when his son is.

Ghetsis takes a vindictive sort of pleasure in saying nothing, and watches with glee as the other's face screws up with anger. More needles are shoved through his arm, but he still says nothing, knowing full well that he could never betray his child, even if it is to save his own life. A lousy father he may be, but even Ghetsis has his limits. He doesn't want to hurt his child. Not again. He _promised_ himself that he wouldn't.

Kneeling in front of him is a second grunt, and his brain figures out what they're going to do milliseconds before they stab his thigh with the senbon. It sinks into his flesh, burning far more than any of the others had; he realizes with a sort of despair that now they're dipping the needles into a liquid. Still, Giovanni hovers, repeats his question, and Ghetsis sneers at him as best he can, spitting blood onto the floor. He's long since lost feeling in his arms, probably wouldn't feel it if they were removed from his body, and the green-haired man is wondering how much more he'll take before breaking.

(He does his best, though. Mouthing off sharply, sneering at Giovanni, and refusing to say a word. He betrayed his son once, he won't do it again. He _refuses_ to do it again; to see the wide eyes, the sudden realization that had brought his child's world crashing down around his ears.

The truth is, he does know where N is, even if his child isn't aware of it. He had attached a tracking device to the Pokéball Reshiram resides in. Had shown the thing to the Dragon Legendary before activating it, knows that the Pokémon allowed it. He'd done it in one of his clearer moments, when the voices in his head weren't so loud, merely wanting to make sure that his child is safe wherever he goes.

N is his own person, and the boy had always been fascinated by other lands. He'd wanted to walk across the entire world. Ghetsis allows it, fondly remembering his own adventures at Alder's side all those years ago. The older boy had shot him down when Ghetsis had confessed, had walked out on him in disgust. That was _years_ ago, when the medicine he took kept him mostly sane and stable and the voices in his head silent.

The clear moments don't last very long anymore; the medicine not working like it used to. He can't think straight anymore.)

**oOo**

N's halfway down a road towards Snowbelle City, a Furfrou padding alongside, when Aedric appears out of thin air a couple feet in front of him. The Shadow bows politely, greets him with a, “My Lord N,” and then quiets, clearly waiting for the young man's response.

He's wary and unsure, but because N's always been the curious type he takes the bait. “Do you need something, Aedric?”

Lynnr appears beside his sibling, nervously playing with his white braid. “My Lord,” he greets. “We have bad news, I'm afraid.

“Indeed,” Marion says as he pops into view, all three of the triplets looking nervous and unsure. “Lord Ghetsis has been kidnapped. He's been missing for almost four weeks now. It took us that long to find your location.”

_What?_ N thinks, because no one could possibly be stupid enough to run off with his father. The man probably has a micro-tracking chip inserted into his _bones_. “What?” he says out loud. “You can't find him?”

Lynnr sighs and actually looks annoyed. “Whoever has him is good. Some sort of disrupting signal that makes us unable to track the microchip embedded in his shoulder. The best we've got is the region of Kanto, and that's it. We were hoping you would help out.” He twitches a little.

Finally Marion rolls his eyes and says, “Your gift to speak to Pokémon. We were hoping you could see if anyone knows something.”

N glances down the road towards Snowbelle City and then sighs. Following his gaze, Aedric winces. Then, nodding firmly, he says, “You can always come back here. We won't make you stay. This is just until we find Ghetsis again, then you'll be allowed to leave.”

“Promise?” the young man asks, already halfway through pulling out his cell. He flicks through the contacts on it and dials, absently taking in the Shadow Trio's nods before the voice of Zinzolin reaches his ears. “Father's missing.”

**oOo**

Three weeks, four days, eight hours. That's how long Ghetsis has been in here. The solid glass window on the side wall allows him knowledge of day and night, and the clock on the wall gives him the time. He'd hate the damn thing if it wasn't for the fact that the ticking helps him focus on something _other_ than the voices in his head. They're loud now that he hasn't been taking his medicine faithfully, whispering and laughing and mocking him. He's down an eye now, half his face covered in dried blood from when it'd been stabbed with a senbon.

The door across the room slides open and Giovanni steps through, looking unusually smug. Behind him, two grunts file in, a table balanced between them. Alarm bells ring in the back of Ghetsis' mind, but he ignores it. It's not like they can do him anything worse than his two cracked ribs.

(He's wrong. He's so very wrong.)

“Did you miss my gorgeous face, Giovanni?” he says, somehow managing a silky purr even though his throat is rough from screaming.

Giovanni _smiles_ at him, smooth and bright and the alarm bells get louder. “One last chance, Ghetsis. Where are Zekrom, Reshiram, and Kyurem? Where is your son?”

“If you think I'm going to tell you,” Ghetsis begins furiously, “then you're delusional.”

The Rocket leader sighs, looking very much like he's a benevolent tyrant. “Well,” he sighs. “I did give you a chance. It's your own fault you didn't take it.” He gestures to one of his grunts and she picks something up from the table. Ghetsis squints his remaining eye. It's a needle.

“You're not using your mouth for anything useful,” Giovanni says, looking pleased, “so I see no reason to let you have one.”

_No. No no no no no nononononono._ Ghetsis presses himself back against the wall as best he can, tucking his face into the curve of his shoulder in a desperate attempt to keep her from touching him. She kneels in front of him, grabs his face by the chin and turns his head, quietly whispers, “I'm sorry,” and slides the needle through.

A scream builds in his throat.

**oOo**

“I don't think this is right,” someone hisses, and Calixto looks up from where he's sorting Pokéballs in the Rocket HQ. There, across the way, are three of his fellow Grunts, and they're whispering frantically. “That poor bastard. The boss is furious.”

One of the two Grunts nods. “I saw him this morning. Looked awful. Had needles stuck in him and he wouldn't stop making these horrible sounds.” The grunt winces. “There was so much blood.”

“This isn't right, though. He's... he's human. The boss is torturing him because he won't give him the location of his son.”

Calixto's stomach drops. Here he is, a member of the International Police working undercover for Team Rocket, and he's now hearing of _torture_? All he was supposed to do was find out what Giovanni was up to. Shoving the last of the Pokéballs into the box, he stands up and strides over to the three grunts. “Show me,” he hisses, low and dangerous. The one who had spoken first nods, already catching on to what he wants and heads out of the room. Two hallways over, she heads directly for a door Calixto's never been through. He's allowed access to all areas, he knows that, but the redhead just hasn't really been interested in what lied behind this door. The grunt points to it, then flees, hissing, “Be careful, okay?” over her shoulder as she disappears around a corner.

Carefully opening it, he's immediately met with the heavy stench of blood, and Calixto _gags_ , hand snapping up to cover his mouth and nose. “Arceus,” he breathes, faint in the empty hall, and cautiously slips down it, knowing better than to make any sound. He probably shouldn't be here, but he can simply claim curiosity if anyone actually asks. Lined on either sides of the hall are cells, but only the last one is occupied. Half-crumpled against the wall, wrists chained and bloody, lies a man with green hair. His head is bowed and blood drips fairly steadily from a gash on his forehead, and several sharp senbon needles have been shoved through sections of his arms. One of his eyes is obviously missing, the amount of blood running down his cheek can't possibly be anything else. He knows who this man is. Ghetsis Harmonia is _still_ on the I.P.'s Watch List. Will be for quite a while.

The worst part is the man's mouth has been sewn shut. Heavy thread wraps over his lips, weaving in and out of his flesh with surgical precision. It's obviously been recently done, the skin red and irritated.

“Arceus,” Calixto mouths, too stunned to make any sound because this is so far off the edge of illegal that it isn't funny, and tries to swallow back the bile rising in his throat.

(He needs to get out of here. To make plans, to run with the green-haired man that's pinned and bleeding, and he needs to do it _now_. The other might not survive much longer.)

**oOo**

Kanto is an interesting region. N's gaze flickers from side to side as he walks, taking in everything with the air of a tourist who's never been in the area before. Beside him walks Marion, the Shadow's uniform replaced with casual clothing. His white hair is pulled up in a high ponytail and he's reading a map, seemingly not paying any attention, but N knows that the other's gaze is sharp. He's listening to all the conversations surrounding them, casually eavesdropping with a level of skill that makes N jealous.

N listens though, less interested in the humans and more in the Pokémon whispering in corners. _“Blood,”_ he hears, _“so much blood.”_ The Magnemite that had said it buzzes, electricity crackling across its form as it floats up and down in agitation.

_“That poor bastard,”_ a tiny Ratatta says, cleaning its whiskers nervously. _“The man's not going to last long. I feel horrible for him, but there's nothing we can do.”_

A Meowth agrees, idly reaching up to clean the coin on its forehead, nervously scrubbing its paw across the metal. _“He's in such horrible shape.”_

Making sure that no one is paying attention to him, N calls out a Liepard and points her in the direction of the trio of Pokémon. “Find out what they know,” he says quietly and she nods and darts through the throng of people towards the Meowth.

She lets them see her coming, sits in front of their forms, and nods a hello. _“My master's father is missing,”_ she begins. _“Has been for a while now. Green of hair, red of eye. Have you seen anyone like that?”_

The Meowth nods and points to a large building down the road. _“Ratatta can take you. She's the one that discovered him.”_

**oOo**

Calixto is halfway to a nearby restaurant almost two hours later, freshly showered and trying desperately to not think about the severely damaged man in the basement, when two of his fellow grunts corner him. They drag him into a fast food place, shove him into a seat, and then plonk down on either side, effectively trapping his form. “We need to talk,” one hisses, idly biting their lip.

The other nods, her hair shivering ringlets that fall in her face. She blows them out and narrows her eyes. “We know you're a plant. But we want out of Rocket. I got in because I thought we'd be rescuing abused Pokémon, not being the abusers ourselves. That poor bastard is just the icing on the cake.”

“His name is Ghetsis Harmonia,” Calixto supplies, “the head of Team Plasma. Yes, that Ghetsis,” he adds moments later, when recognition blooms on the faces of both grunts. “Still think he's a poor bastard?”

“Yes,” she returns with such conviction that it surprises Calixto. “No one deserves that. Apparently he's only down there because he refuses to tell the boss where his son is. I just...I can't condone this.”

The agender grunt nods. “Same,” they say. “Plus, it's also a little demeaning that the boss' always tacking a gender onto me. Won't hear that I'm anything but a 'he' and it's driving me nuts.”

“Skye,” she sighs out, “I'm honestly surprised you haven't punched him yet.”

Skye's lips twitch. “That's 'cause I'm not stupid, Mina. Just a pissy, tiny ball of rage.” Their gaze shifts back towards Calixto. “As we were saying, we both want out. I've always wanted to do better than this, but I've never had the chance. I'd get out for a Janitor level job, and that's saying something.”

Calixto smirks. “I can do you one better. I'm a member of the I.P. If you get out of this without being busted, not only will I see to it that your Rocket I.D.'s just disappear, but I'll also provide you an way into the I.P. training programs. If you want to, that is.” He shrugs and leans back into the seat. “Think about it. I'm going to get food.”

When he comes back to the table, both grunts are whispering furiously as they scribble stuff onto a napkin. They look up when he sets the tray down and shoves two burgers in their direction. Skye snatches theirs up, tears away the wrapper, and bites into it. “Arceus,” they mutter. “I love Five Trainer's food. Best burgers around.”

“Best fries, too,” Mina agrees, shoving a handful of the items in question into her mouth. She chews them happily and swallows before turning her purple gaze onto Calixto. “Deal. We'll do it. Has to be tonight though, the boss is going out of town for the evening but he'll be back in the HQ tomorrow morning. Pretty much leaves us a two hour window that starts in a minute or so.”

Calixto hums, nibbling on a fry. “Two hours is enough. I already have my team ready. We were going to do something about Ghetsis anyway, so it's better that it's now. You two will be all right?”

Mina smirks. “I can lie like a rug. Skye will loop the cameras for you. Be quick, we'll clean up any blood. There are motorcycles in the garage.”

“Good thing I know how to drive one,” the redhead sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Skye checks his phone. “The boss has just left,” he announces. “We need to move.”

**oOo**

Ghetsis comes to when his door clicks open. It's far too early for Giovanni to be back from his trip, and he slowly opens his eyes wondering if he'll regret this. In front of him is a white, lizard-like Pokémon and right behind it is a redheaded Rocket grunt. The lizard drops its head and carefully licks the cuffs chaining him to the wall, and Ghetsis is startled when the metal begins to fizzle and melt. It corrodes away, releasing his wrist, and the redhead braces him as the lizard works on removing the other manacle. He crumples against the grunt, eyes sliding closed, and feels when the other scoops him up, draping his limp form across his back.

He's just thankful that the senbon had been removed and bandaged about twenty minutes earlier.

The redhead clicks his tongue and the lizard nods and darts ahead of them, a misty sort of perfume draping its form. Ghetsis watches through half-lidded eyes, head resting on a shoulder, as they dart through the base without running into anyone, and slip into a garage. A motorcycle is standing upright, clearly their method of escape, and the redhead settles Ghetsis' limp form onto the seat, then slips onto it himself.

With a roar, the ride starts up and Ghetsis jerks slightly. “Got him,” the redhead says, tapping a microphone attached to his ear. In front of him, the garage starts to open, the fading sunlight streaking in. The redhead leans forward a little, murmurs, “Close your eyes and hold on tight. We'll get you out of here,” and then opens the throttle. The bike darts forward at a speed Ghetsis didn't even realize bikes could hit as they duck the door, and they're already turning the first corner by the time the garage door has finished opening.

Halfway down the next road, the redhead releases a Pokémon from a ball on his hip. He bends his head a little, lips brushing against Ghetsis' ear as he whispers, “For the record, I'm really sorry about this.” A deep breath, then he calls, “ _Teleport!_ ” and Ghetsis' heart leaps up into his throat as the area around the bike flashes white. Then he's tumbling, falling through nothing, and the only thing keeping him semi-stable is the arm around his waist. They reappear on a highway without a sound, the bike's speed increasing to seventy. “Sorry, but we have to do it twice more.”

Ghetsis whines in his throat, single remaining eye mostly closed against the setting sun. His wounds hurt and he just wants this to be over with already. Fifteen minutes later, when they've traveled almost twenty miles down the highway, the redhead again calls, “ _Teleport!_ ” and Ghetsis braces himself for the extremely uncomfortable sensation of jumping from one area to another. There's another flash, another blur of colors, and then sand writhes underneath the tires as they speed along the shoreline.

The third just comes a few minutes later just as the front wheel touches sea water. Overwhelmed and in a lot of pain, Ghetsis passes out, head sagging against the redhead holding him up. He hears cursing and can feel the motorcycle halting just before he's completely gone.

**oOo**

The building that the Ratatta leads them to is tall, and an open garage door is their way in. A whisper of footsteps heralds someone's arrival, Marion pulls N into a shadow just as a Rocket grunt slinks into the area, glancing around nervously. A moment later, a second grunt appears, looking immensely relieved. “Mina,” they hiss as they dart over to the female's side. “We need to get out of here right now.”

She nods quickly. “Definitely, Skye. Calixto's probably long gone by now and we need to get moving before we're implemented by his plan.” Mina shakes her head. “I can't believe it actually worked.”

Skye breathes in, grabs her hand, and the two of them head for the open door. “Ghetsis will be safe now,” they say quietly and N has to slap a hand over his own mouth to keep from gasping. “Calixto has him and he said something about leaving the region entirely.” He shakes his head and adds, “I hope he'll be all right. He had some horrible wounds.”

Mina frowns a little as they dart down the sidewalk. “Calixto mentioned Beheeyem having _Heal Pulse_ , so he should be okay. We need to get out of here before we're busted for helping him escape.”

Marion taps the earring hanging from his right lobe; seconds later, Lynnr and Aedric appear in a faint whirl of smoke. He gestures to the two grunts slinking down the sidewalk. “They know about Ghetsis.” A sharp nod and then his two siblings are gone, already darting forward to grab both of the grunts before vanishing. Marion wraps an arm around N's waist and disappears into his own shadow.

They reappear in a dark room, the two grunts practically spitting fire. N steps forward, immediately attracting their attention. “That hair,” Mina mutters. “You related to Ghetsis?”

“His son,” N supplies. “Where is he?”

She shakes her head. “Beats me. Calixto took him and ran. You missed him by like half an hour.”

“And a motorcycle,” the other grunt chimes in. “Plus Calixto mentioned that he has a Pokémon with _Teleport_ on hand. You're not going to find them, especially since the redhead said he was taking Ghetsis out of the region.”

“At least father's safe,” N mutters, pinching the bridge of his nose and trying to will off the impending headache.

The two grunts wince. “About that,” Mina mutters. “Ghetsis was in horrible condition when we managed to get him out. Definite cracked ribs, probably broken bones, scars. They stuck senbon in him. I know some of the needles were covered in minor poisons.”

“It gets worse though.” Skye shakes his head. “Ghetsis is missing an eye now. And his mouth has been sewn shut.”

“ _What?_ ” Aedric hisses. Marion makes screeching noise reminiscent of a Spearow.

Skye winces. “We couldn't get him out until the boss left. When the boss leaves, so do most of the admins, and the security level drops. Today was the first chance we had in four weeks. We did the best we could; you know, making sure that his wounds were cleaned and bandaged, cleaning out infections. We tried, okay? Now can you let us go? We need to get out of the region right this minute.”

N waves the Shadow Trio away, nodding. “Take them wherever they want,” he says, already turning around. “I'm going to head back to Unova and see if we can track down father's microchip.” He stalks out of the room, calling out Reshiram in order to ask for a ride.

He needs ibuprofen. Right now.

**oOo**

The room is somewhat dark when he comes to, but there's almost no pain. From beside him comes a chitter and his head shifts, turning to see a green, bipedal Pokémon that has a crown, eyelashes, and pink boots. He coughs roughly, this time there isn't any blood, and watches as the Pokémon flicks on a lamp, bathing the room in a pale, purple glow. “Tsareena,” it murmurs, then saunters over to the door and opens it and steps out.

A few moments later, footsteps sound on the stairs and a redhead hurries into the room. “Oh, thank Arceus,” he says, smiling gently. “You're awake. That's good.”

“Where?” Ghetsis croaks weakly the moment he realizes his mouth is no longer sewn shut. The redhead hands him a glass and he cautiously takes a sip, then gulps when he realizes that it's water.

“A newly discovered region known as Alola. You've been out for a couple days.” The shadows shiver and Pokémon that Ghetsis actually recognizes appears. A Beheeyem floats over, hands glowing, and its eyes flash as a _Heal Pulse_ echoes into the corners, chasing away any darkness untouched by the lamp. “Tsareena?”

The Tsareena nods and then it places its hands on Ghetsis' chest, eyes glowing bright green as it releases _Synthesis_ into his body. “Tsar...” it says, looking vaguely amused.

Ghetsis breathes in slowly as the two Pokémon work. He's mostly healed already, obviously the hard work had been done while he was unconscious, and now they're just finishing up. Slowly, his hand sneaks up to touch gauze where his eye should be and he watches the redhead wince. “Sorry,” the other says. “Your eye was long gone by the time I was able to get you out. But I cut the threads keeping you from speaking and my Beheeyem fixed the holes pretty quickly.”

“Who?”

The redhead looks startled, then horrified, and finally sheepish. “Holy shit. I'm sorry. The name's Calixto. I'm a member of the International Police.” Ghetsis actually twitches, fighting the urge to run and Calixto laughs. “Relax, you're not going to be arrested. Is there anything I should know about? Beheeyem said something about old medication in your system.”

“You can understand them?” Ghetsis asks, immediately thinking of his son.

Calixto shrugs. “Not completely. It's more like sharing images and emotions than anything else. Sometimes, when I concentrate really hard I can hear them, but it's more erratic than anything else. Used to think I was hallucinating it, but then I had an Absol warn me my life was in danger. I took its advice and ended up surviving, realized then that yeah, I could hear them. So, medication?”

“Schizophrenia,” Ghetsis admits. “I haven't taken my medication in almost a month now, but my head is oddly clear.”

“That would be Beheeyem's doing,” Calixto says. “I have no idea _what_ he's doing; he borrowed the TM's for _Calm_ Mind and _Baton Pass_. Whatever it is, the moment he started using them, you calmed down almost immediately and haven't had another episode since.”

“My medication is in the side table of my bedroom.” Ghetsis sighs, reaching up to scrub at his face, wincing whenever something tender pulls. “And my team is probably _frantic_.”

“I'll have Beheeyem go get everything.” Calixto nods sharply, then adds, “Are you hungry?” just as the Psychic-type flickers out of view. “I've got a pot of soup on the stove that you should be able to stomach.”

“I'll take some,” Ghetsis agrees, already hearing his stomach rumble at the thought of food. Calixto smiles, soft and gentle and a little too much like Giovanni, and the green-haired male's stomach _turns_. But instead of coming towards him, the redhead vanishes through the doorway. Ghetsis takes the chance to stuff his face into the nearest pillow and scream. The Tsareena taps his arm and hands him his refilled water glass the moment he's looking, then helps him sit up, shoving pillows behind his back so he's supported. Calixto returns a moment later, tray of food in his hands as he follows the white, lizard-like Pokémon into the room.

“Thank you, Salazzle,” he says, already unfolding the legs of the tray so it can sit on the bed.

Ghetsis eyes the Pokémon as it chitters in response, even as he carefully reaches out to pull the tray a little closer. There's a spoon beside the bowl but he ignores it, gingerly picking up the bowl and tilting it so he can sip at the liquid within. It's mostly broth, slightly salty and flavorful, and Ghetsis drinks greedily, happy to have something other than water and bread. Calixto settles on the edge of the bed, looking pleased. “Good, then?”

“Yes.” Ghetsis carefully sets the drained bowl down and licks his lips clean, “Thank you.” The Beheeyem flickers into view in the familiar white flash of _Teleport_ , dropping six Pokéballs onto the bed. Ghetsis immediately recognizes the markings along the sides of each Luxury ball, the ones that denote the balls as his. He reaches out to grasp them and pauses, jerking backwards when a bottle of medication is thrust in front of his face. Slowly, he takes it from Beheeyem's grip and reads over the bottle, wincing a little when he realizes that he's missed the refill date. “Needs to be refilled,” he admits quietly.

Calixto nods. “I'll have Doctor Tanner drop by. She'll be able to do it, and she won't breathe a word about it, either. Bonus of being so high in the I.P. agents.”

“Is that so?”

“I'm a senior agent.” The redhead smirks, looking incredibly proud of himself. Ghetsis can't really blame him. Being a senior agent involves a lot of work and he's willing to be that the other fought his way to the top. “So I got a lot of perks. Having the I.P.'s personal doctor drop by my place is one of them.” He stands up and stretches lazily. “Want another bowl? I can make the call while you eat.”

Slowly Ghetsis nods. He's actually still somewhat hungry and he's feeling too damn good to really complain about anything. His head's clear and his wounds don't ache and he's no longer trapped in that damn cell and Giovanni can't hurt him any longer. He blinks when a second full bowl is placed in front of him, clacking lightly against the surface of the tray, and Ghetsis tilts it up to drink, watching as the redhead dials a number on his cell. “Good evening, Doctor Tanner.” He hums, then snorts. “No. I'm not injured. I pulled out of the Rocket mission a little early. Found a prisoner that I couldn't leave in there any longer.”

Calixto leans back on one hand and clicks his tongue. “Tomorrow all right? He's mostly healed, Tsareena and Beheeyem saw to that, but he said he has schizophrenia and that he needs a refill. Yes, Tanner, I saw the medication myself. He was imprisoned for a month with no medicine. He wants to be checked because he has no idea what that month did to his head.” With a loud, barking laugh, Calixto ends the call and grins widely at Ghetsis. “She'll be here tomorrow morning about eleven. Called me a fool and a moron and said that at least you have intelligence.”

Startled, Ghetsis sets the bowl down and laughs, then pauses as something occurs to him. “My son,” he says quietly. “I need to tell him that I'm all right.” He shifts, rubbing at his shoulder. “I should have a micro-tracking chip in my shoulder.”

The redhead's gaze shifts to Beheeyem and Tsareena. She shrugs, but the Psychic-type mimes stabbing something, then pulses pink in _Heal Pulse_. Calixto sighs. “Beheeyem says that the chip was stabbed with a senbon needle. He removed it while he was healing you so it wouldn't infect your body.”

Ghetsis curses faintly, then picks up the bowl and finishes the broth inside.

“Plus we're in Alola. It's quite the distance from Unova so I don't think _Teleport_ is really an option.” Calixto clicks his tongue faintly, then tosses his phone to Ghetsis. He fumbles a little, hands struggling to keep a grip on the plastic, and finally manages to get a grip on it. “Password is 9265.” The redhead flops back onto the bed and throws an arm over his face, muttering a little under his breath.

Blinking curiously, Ghetsis carefully unlocks the phone, slowly inputting the number for his child's cell.

**oOo**

N is halfway down the hall of his apartment, the Shadow Trio right behind him, when his phone rings. He pauses, stares at it for a moment, eyes the unknown number blinking on the screen before answering. “Hello?” There's a second where he just listens, face brightening. “Father! You're all right!” Behind him, Lynnr stumbles. Marion curses faintly.

“ _I am_ ,” Ghetsis says on the other end. He sounds tired. “ _I am now_.”

“Where are you?”

“ _Not sure. Somewhere in the region of Alola_.”

A sigh, a breath of air, and N covers the lower speakers before turning towards the Shadow Trio. “There's a region called Alola?” he asks.

Aedric nods slowly. “Recently discovered, I believe. Only just set up their Pokémon League.”

N listens carefully. He can hear someone talking to his father, their voice just out of range of his hearing. “ _I'm in a home near Poni Meadow on Poni Island. Some area called Poni Breaker Coast,_ ” Ghetsis says only moments later, and N realizes that he'd been asking his location.

“ _Your father is fine,_ ” another voice says, smoothly cutting through his thoughts. “ _He's healing well, but there will be scars. I wasn't able to do anything about that._ ” The man pauses for a few moments, clicking his tongue occasionally. “ _It should take you a few days to make your way here. Ghetsis will be on his medication by then, so he should be able to be moved at that time. Just knock on the door when you get here_.” And with that, he hangs up, leaving N to stare at his phone silently.

Behind him, Lynnr laughs so hard he isn't making any sound at all. N decides he hates the Shadow Trio.

 


End file.
